- NZD/USD bulls were saved by softness in the US dollar again.
- The Fed minutes failed to support the greenback and the kiwi resumed its bullish flight path.
NZD/USD is ending in North American markets some 0.22% higher after recovering from the lows of 0.6417 to close around 0.6477. The bird fell from the post-Reserve Bank of New Zealand highs of 0.6514 as the US dollar found a bid ahead of the FOMC minutes.
The US dollar fought its way out of a two-day losing streak on Wednesday ahead of the release of the May meeting minutes, momentarily gaining a high of 102.449. Fed minutes largely endorsed the need for 50bp hikes in the near term, however, the minutes failed to mention prospects of larger rate hikes. That took some wind out of the US dollar's sails. Consequently, risk assets rallied, including the kiwi.
A deep dive into the RBNZ
Analysts at ANZ Bank wrote a note with respect to the outcome of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand explaining that the RBNZ Monetary Policy Committee yesterday described themselves as “resolute” in their inflation fight, while acknowledging “strong” growth headwinds.
Key notes:
The 50bp rise was expected, but the OCR track reaching as high as 3.95% wasn’t, nor was its steepness, which implied further 50bp hikes in both July and August.
''There’s clearly been a big change of mood since April, when 'The Committee remained comfortable with the outlook for the OCR as outlined in … February.' It’s not entirely clear what the driver of that change has been, given inflation and labour data has actually come in much as the RBNZ expected.''
''Some of it will be due to the bigger-spending Budget (though in the press conference the Governor described the extra fiscal spending as small beer in the greater scheme of things); QES wage pressure also picked up markedly (not the RBNZ’s preferred measure, but the big upward revision to the RBNZ’s wage forecast was notable).''
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.
If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.
FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.
The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.
Recommended content
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD battles 1.0700 amid calmer risk tone, German ZEW eyed
EUR/USD is juggling in a narrow range just above the 1.0700 level in early Europe. The pair is sidelined amid a relatively calmer risk tone and a pause in the US Dollar decline. Markets digest the latest global banking sector developments ahead of Germany's ZEW survey.
GBP/USD remains pressured around 1.2250 as US Dollar recovers
GBP/USD is on a corrective move lower while testing 1.2250 in the early European morning. A broad rebound in the US Dollar is weighing on the pair, despite a better market mood. Investors stay cautious amid the global banking woes and ahead of the Fed decision.
Gold lingers below the $2,000 mark as the market awaits Fed’s policy decision
Gold price reached a fresh yearly high on Monday this week, with XAU/USD hitting the $2,000 mark for only the third time in recorded history; the last time was during the COVID era. The robust bull run began from the March low of around $1,800, and gold prices have not looked back since.
Coinbase argues core staking services are not securities in its letter to SEC
Coinbase submitted a comment letter to the US financial regulator asking for clarification on core staking services. The exchange explained that staking services fail every single prong of the Howey test, therefore, cannot be treated as securities.
FX thoughts for the week
Do central banks face a conflict between their inflation mandate and financial stability? The markets are still grappling with this question and confidence in the financial sector has not fully recovered. For now, central banks are responding with a conditional no.